St Agnes Place Eviction

30.11.2005 00:00 | Free Spaces | Social Struggles | London

The eviction of St Agnes Place in Kennington (South London) by Lambeth Council finally took place on Tuesday 29th, after years of court battles and previous eviction attempts [Report]. The oldest squatted street in London was swarmed with hundreds of riot police the whole day, as residents were resisting the bailiffs and specialist climbers that were emptying the street of its 150 strong community set up 30 years ago [Photos 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 and Video]. Throughout the day there were reports of police stopping people on their way to show support to St Agnes Place residents outside Oval, Kennington, Stockwell and Brixton tubes. Later in the evening there was a demonstration outside Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton to celebrate St Agnes Place community, as well as to show support to the people that has become homeless as a result of the eviction [Photos 1 and 2].

By mid-afternoon there were still three houses resisting the eviction, as residents and supporters pledged to hold for as long as they could. But later in the evening, reports came in that the last resisting squatter had been removed from the remaining occupied house in an ambulance, as the eviction was brutally completed [Video]. He was taken to hospital after he was badly beaten on the head with truncheons. Click here for St Agnes place map and location.

Latest info and Timeline of Events
Netcast from Wireless FM live here - a free radio that has been broadcasting from number 81 in St. Agnes Place for the last two years.
More info on St Agnes Place from the Indymedia archives.

Unwelcome visitors.

Latest from stagnesplace.net:
Thursday 1st December
00:40: An update on the proceedings on the street - Today people were given strictly supervised access to their ex homes to collect what they could carry of their personal belongings. However one person whilst being escorted by security to the house, happened to mention that he personally felt that the eviction was unlawful. He was immediately deemed high risk and was refused access and escorted back to the cordon.

Then a long time elderly resident, who had been giving a short interview to Channel 4 journalists was collected by the security guards to fetch what he could carry. Unfortunately the Channel 4 people had not had time to remove the microphone they had pinned on him, although of course it was disconnected. When he reached the doorway of his ex home a policeman spotted the mic and pulled him over for intense questioning. The police then confiscated the microphone and removed the gentleman from the area minus any posessions.

Wednesday 30th November
6:00 pm Illegal eviction has now taken place of last house on Bolton Crescent south end of St Agnes Place. Residents here have been thrown out onto the freezing street with nowhere to go, even though their hearing for posession of the property was not scheduled until mid december. This is a totally illegal action by baliffs and police and will of course face a legal challenge. It seems that British law is not recognised by the tyrants that have ordered the actions of the last two days. Only one house now stands in the way of the bulldozer.

4:39 pm: There is going to be an illegal eviction happening to the couple that live at the south end of St Agnes Place (Bolton Crescent) at 5pm....they have not had their case heard in court yet, that is due on 16th December. They have nowhere to go and have 2 cats with 3 baby kittens They are appealing for people to come as witnesses to this illegal eviction and also desperately appealing for emergency accomodation. Measures are being taken to try and stop this illegal act but we are running out of time. PLEASE PLEASE help if you can.... offer temporary shelter or get up there and give support and witness/photograph/film/gather evidence. Obviously these people are distraught and need our help NOW.

12:20 am: Netcasting radio station Wireless Fm continues to live stream through the night while pixies continue with there magik, tune into it by pasteing the following link into your real player: http://wirelessfm.net/ram/wirelessfm.ram

Tuesday 29th November
10:50 pm: No 66 resident now concious, he is being patched up and is expected to be released from hospital where he will most certainly be transported to Brixton police station for further grilling. Heavy demolition machinery has still yet to arrive on the street.

9:15 pm: It seems that contravening any rights of the residents left on the street, the remaining people have now been pulled out in the most violent way. The resident from number 66 has been badly beaten on the head by many many blows with truncheons, he is in an ambulance right now and is in a extremely serious condition. We are attempting to get more information, will update as soon as possible.

Homepage: http://www.stagnesplace.net/

Additions

St.Agnes Dis-Placed

29.11.2005 22:07

21 houses in St.Agnes Place, Kennington, South West London, were evicted today admist protest and resistance from local residents. The street, infamously squatted for more than 30 years has been fighting this eviction for some time now, a failed attemp took place two years previous due to public protest. This time round the residents have been taking by surprise, first being told that an eviction may take place on Nov 1st, then hearing nothing until this mourning, the occupents now finally face displacement.
Neighbours expressed their sense of loss of what surely was a vibrant and cultral influence within its community. St.Agnes place over the years has been a home to families, a safe haven to the the occassional homeless and many passing travellers to form one of Britain's most distinctive communities that had established themselves as a positive part of the wider community. Also host to Europes only Rasta Fari head-quarters, St.Agnes Place and Kennington play area are now due to be demolished in a £16m deal with London Quadrant Housing who want to buy the land. Redevolpment plans are overshadowed by concerns of scandel involving councillor Keith Finchett, who after prevously branding the occupents of St.Agnes Place as "parasites" is now at the centre of a Council Housing fraud scandal, which has recently cost £2.8m of taxpayer’s money. Police fear this money may never be recovered and Fitchett may be forced to resign as a result.

WAKE FOR ST AGNES PLACE? I didnt see many people down at Brixton town hall today!

Who remembers the "Fight The Power" benefit gig for St.Agnes? Where are you all now?

Solidarity party @ Speakers Corner JAMM 261 Brixton Rd. This Thursday 1st Dec \ Spoken word \ Hip-Hop \ full live bands all night \ free entry all night \ all in the name of protest \

Photography from the St.Agnes Place eviction will be screened throughout the night on 3 large projectors at this event.